As the cost of energy continues to rise, increased emphasis is placed on alternative energy sources such as solar energy and wind energy. Increased emphasis is also placed on development of efficient, cost-effective methods of providing basic services such as heating and cooling.
Radiant heat transfer systems rely on energy transfer by emission of electromagnetic waves from a surface. Energy is released from an object in the form of electromagnetic waves. The waves propagate away from the emitting object and increase the energy level of any other objects that absorb the wave. Radiant heating systems rely at least in part on bodies absorbing electromagnetic waves in the infrared spectrum to increase temperature of the bodies. For example, a person standing outside in direct sunlight on a winter's day may feel comfortable without a coat while in the sunlight but feel much colder when standing in the shade despite identical ambient air temperatures.
In radiant heating systems, thermal energy radiates from a heated element such as a wall, floor, or overhead panel to heat people and objects in a conditioned space. Conversely, in radiant cooling systems, cooled elements in walls, floors, or ceilings can absorb thermal energy radiated from warmer objects and dissipate energy away from a conditioned space. Occupants can achieve thermal comfort despite uncomfortable air temperatures by using radiant cooling or heating. Radiant systems can result in significant savings relative to conventional forced air systems that rely on inefficiently passing air over heated or cooled coils and pumping the air into a conditioned space.
Heated or cooled elements can transfer heat energy to or from objects in contact with the elements by conduction. Conduction is the transfer of heat between objects in contact with one another. Heat can also be moved from one area to another by convection, using the movement of the liquid or gas to deliver or absorb heat. In air conditioning systems convection is used to deliver heating or cooling to a conditioned space by moving heated or cooled air into the space. In a radiant system, electromagnetic radiation plays a large role in delivering heat or cooling but conduction and convection still contribute to the system's overall performance. By utilizing radiation energy that would otherwise escape, a radiant system offers increased efficiency over traditional heating and cooling methods.
Radiant heating and cooling systems can be implemented using panels. Conventional heating and cooling panels contain pre-placed tubing. One disadvantage of conventional panels is that panels do not fit the variety of shapes and obstructions frequently encountered in many structures and cannot be easily modified. A building's design limits the area that the panels can cover. The incompatibility results in gaps in the radiant system.
Conventional panels also have a fixed tubing pattern that cannot be varied for different regions in the system. A hallway must be cooled or heated to the same extent as a bedroom. Efficiency decreases as unused areas are heated or cooled. Conventional panels also have proprietary designs. Each manufacturer purposely designs panels that are compatible with the manufacturer's particular accessories such as the manufacturer's particular style of tubing or particular method of attachment.